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DA: Incoherent, drooling repeat drunk driver in stolen car somehow didn't injure any of the kids in the car he slammed into

A South Boston man who already has three drunk-driving convictions could be locked up for 90 days without bail as a menace to society after a crash yesterday afternoon in the South End, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

John Sferrazza, 49, slammed his stolen car into a 2002 Acura MDX on Northampton Street around 4:45 p.m., the DA's office says:

The Acura's driver, a 28-year-old East Boston man, told officers that he was driving toward Albany Street when he saw the Saturn coming toward him. It swerved and crossed the double line at a high rate of speed, prompting him to turn to the right. As a result, the Saturn struck the driver’s side of the Acura.

Inside the Acura at the time of the collision were his two daughters, ages 1 and 2, and his 4-year-old nephew.

According to the DA's office, officers found Sferrazza at the crash site:

They found him sitting on the curb, drooling and incoherent due to extremely slurred speech. The officers smelled a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Because he was unable to walk under his own power, the officers carried Sferrazza into a cruiser. They did not observe him to have any noticeable injuries.

While the officers were on scene, they learned that the Saturn had just been reported stolen from a nearby dealership. A short time later, an employee of that dealership approached the officers and told them that Sferrazza sometimes stays there. Prior to the crash, the man said, he saw the Saturn drive off the lot. Sferrazza was the only person present who could have driven it away, he said.

Officers were unable to book Sferrazza because of his extreme intoxication. Though largely incapable of recognizable speech, he allegedly uttered “[expletive] you” to the booking officer and spat in his face.

He was arraigned today on charges of OUI as a fourth or subsequent offense, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, larceny of a motor vehicle, receiving a stolen motor vehicle and assault and battery on a police officer.

Roxbury Municipal Court Judge Pamela Dashiell today agreed with prosecutors to order Sferrazza held without bail pending a Nov. 24 dangerousness hearing, at which a judge could order him held for a further 90 days without bail on "clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community."

The DA's office says Sferrazza got a year's probation and a fine after a drunk-driving conviction in 1985, a suspended OUI sentence later the same year, a six-month sentence in 1990 and a 2 1/2-year sentence in 1998.

Innocent, etc.


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Comments

This story has so much Masshole in it I literally can't stand it:

1: "... already has three drunk-driving convictions ..."
2: "... stolen car ..."
3: Literally too drunk to even speak.
4: Not too drunk to swear.
5: "...an employee of that dealership approached the officers and told them that Sferrazza sometimes stays there."
6: " a 2 1/2-year sentence in 1998."

Hail to the Commonwealth.

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Maybe I'm dating myself here but whatever happened to MADD?

If we were back in the day, MADD would get wind of this, they would shit a duck, and the police commissioner was having to answer a bunch of questions.

So who's driving the bus these days?

Not that I want to go back to having to wait in huge traffic jams while they run random sobriety checks on everybody.

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Well it seems like not allowing happy hours isn't working, so bring back happy hour and maybe punish 1st time DUI with minimum 1 month in jail and 1 year revocation of license and double that (minimum) for each subsequent offense.

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They branched out to become "Mothers Against Destructive Decisions" got into a prohibitionist mode and became largely relevant.

The mothers for __________ or mothers against ________ Do this/ban _____ for the children!!!! turned into a boy cries wolf kind of trope thing that no one could take seriously anymore.

Mind you the big reason for today's culture of campus binge drinking is the age change from 18 to 21 largely promoted by MADD.

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MADD has not been grassroots anything for a very long time. It became a lobbying machine funded by every more stricter laws mandating more education classes taught by them.

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What sort of behavior were you expecting from a drug addict?

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I dunno, maybe I'd expect him to be in a hospital or a treatment center? Ha ha, I know, right. Might as well wish for a pet unicorn.

How about expecting that he's not behind the wheel of a car? You know, maybe getting around by walking, or riding a (gasp!) bike?

Don't be silly, I'm just messing with you. Everyone knows no self-respecting grown man would ever ride around on a children's toy, right? Might as well expect him to get around on one of these:

IMAGE(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417YMSTP13L._SX300_.jpg)

Naw, overall, I'd say he was acting exactly as expected. God Bless America. And thank goodness nobody was killed.

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I dunno, maybe I'd expect him to be in a hospital or a treatment center?

Or still in jail from one of his earlier convictions?

Here's an anecdata about what drunk driving in Germany means - and what fun you will have if you do: http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/expat2.html

http://www.spangdahlem.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123252623 explains how strict the laws are to US military personnel.

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phhbt. Amateur.

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More like "menace to sobriety", amirite?

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Wow, 90 whole days. That'll straighten him right out.

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